Being neighborly helps your heart, study says

Getting to know your neighbors has more benefits than borrowing an egg or their snow blower. The more you know your neighbors, the less the chance of having a heart attack, says a new study.

Psychologists at the University of Michigan found that people who made good social connections within their neighborhood had a 22 percent reduced chance of having a heart attack, according to a four-year study tracking almost 5,300 Americans over the age of 50 who had no history of heart disease.

Being neighborly, the study says, helps residents feel secure and more willing to help each other. But being friendly with your neighbors only goes so far. Researchers found little difference between residents who had a moderately high level of engagement with their neighbors and those who were extremely engaged.

The study’s findings were recently published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.